NME Magazine Target Audience Research

Some of the Main Key Facts About NME Magazine

Price                 £2.20

Frequency         Weekly 

Circulation            56,284 

Readership           411,000 

Launch Date        1952

Male/Female        73%/27%

Average Age   25

ABC1                   73% 

Target Market   Men 17-30

NME Readers are entertainment enthusiasts!

• 80% of NME readers feel that music is an important part of their lives

• 79% of NME readers like to listen to new bands 

• 63% specially choose to listen to indie/guitar bands 

• 49% specially choose to listen to live bands in studio

• 52% are interested in taking a musical course/qualification 

• 36% are thinking of buying a musical instrument in the next year

More about the reader

• 34% are working full time, 18% are working part time and 26% are full time students

• 62% read at least 3 out of 4 issues 

• Almost half (49%) have been reading NME for at least 3 years 

• 84% think the magazine gives them what they want spending an average of 46 minutes reading each issue


NME's regular buyers could vary due to their different genres of bands and artists within the magazines articles every week. It can contain bands from 80's and 90's and modern 'techo' music aimed at the generation growing up now.

Evaluation Question 1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of a real media product?' (Double Page)

My double page spread contains a convention of a real media product by containing the information of a name of a writer of the article (bottom right) and the person that was the photographer for the images used for the double page article. This is to let the reader know a more detailed insight to the people behind the magazine, if they are interested and want to do more research into the magazines' background.

The images I have used carry on the same look as the other images in the magazine. For example the tones when I edited them in photoshop. I have a browny/redy tone and tinge to the finished photograph. These pictures on the double page are yet again taken with my nikon D40 and 50mm lens. So I could created depth of field and decide where the main crisp focus would be placed. I also made sure the school hall was  a main focal point in the image as the band members are still within school ages and school is mentioned in the interview.

 Another convention I met is that it contains a main, bold masthead that states the name of the band getting interviewed. It also contains sub-headings that gives the reader more instand information about the band in the article.

Conventions of colour schemes is met throughout my magazine product. As the same colours are still used in my double page article. In addition to this the same background texture was used in this double page spread as my contents page. i did this because my style model had a nice, yet subtle texture in the background. I personally think it is better than having a blank background.

I decided to have my main image to go over the half way point of the double page spread due to my style model having this feature and I thought it looked different to other music magazines.

Within the interview 'IRM' is used in bold capitals, this is the logo. Although it isn't straight forward to notice straight away it is within the text of the interview. to carry on the knowledge it is 'IRM' magazine that the person is reading, exclusive to that magazine brand. I also decided to have it within the text because my style model, 'NME' has this feature. There it is a convention that my media product has.

Evaluation Question 1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of a real media product?' (Contents Page)

My contents page consists of the same colour scheme as my front page. It has browns, maroons and reds along with blacks. This is also reflected through the tones of the images that were all also taken with my nikon D40, 50mm lens. With the guitar pictures on the left hand side I added a colour layer to add that maroon tinge into the background that was originally black when it was first taken.

This page has a website on the left under the guitar images. This follows conventions of a typical media product. Also it makes it look more professional.

It contains the logo that is on the front page, 'IRM' in the same bold eye catching font on the top of the page. This technique is used in my style model, NME magazine.

Bold titles are still used on this contents page. This includes the sub-heading of 'Half full of infinity' under the main image of the contents page. This is so it stands out as it is the main article in the issue.

The conventions of the way it is set out is very accutage to my style model issue I have picked. It has all the contents of the issue on the right hand side. Although I did my own slant on the NME style as the guitar images on the left and the whole left column isn't on my style model.

Another convention that is often used in contents pages' is the issue image on the page. Mine is on the bottom left hand side. Along with an image of another article that is in the issue.

Evaluation Question 1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of a real media product?' (Front Page)

My magazine front cover features a bar code along with the issue number and date of the magazines release. This therefore meets one of the many main conventions of a magazine. However the front page does not contain a website, but I decided that my contents page would be better to have that convention.

It also has a feature cover line which in my case says 'Half full of infinity' it tells the viewer what is going to be inside this issue and othern articles in the magazine that are also featured like on the left hand side I have other images of things that are inside the magazine. They are in bold and in the colour scheme to stand out to passers by, for example in a shop or store.

My music magazine 'IRM' has that has its logo it is presented throughout the front page, contents and is mentioned in the double page spread within the interview.
'IRM' is featured on the right hand side in a thich, bold contrasting colour against the background of the main image. This is turn makes it clear and easily seen from a distance to get possible buyers interested to take a futher look at the media product.

Bold titles or another name for them is mastheads are created and put on magazines and such like to make the words stand out to the reader and grab their attention. My music magazine follows this convention due to the title 'IRM' being a bold, simple and straight to the point font. I did this to compliment my style model, which is NME. I liked the three letter bold look. I created a three dimensional look on photoshop by duplicating the layer and making it black then moving it slightly underneath to create the 3D look.

My magazine consists of a main image that has not had the background cut out as I thought it added needed mis en scene. It is eye catching due to the guitar and the models clothing. It is obvious straight away that it is a rock/music magazine. I used my nikon D40 camera with my 50mm  lens. I used that particular lens to add depth of field onto the image as 50mm allows you to chose where the main focus point of the photograph will be. So I made sure the only person in total focus was 'Sophie' the front member of the band and all the others where out of focus but still able to be seen by the reader.

I made a strict colour scheme that is shown through all of my media products. I used maroon, brown and blacks. I did this to add a professional edge to the magazine.